


Loyalties & Compromises

by skybeep



Category: Dominion (TV)
Genre: F/F, Mostly M but leans on E in the last chapter so, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-21
Updated: 2015-11-21
Packaged: 2018-05-02 18:26:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5259044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skybeep/pseuds/skybeep
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arika never thought she'd find a middle ground with an angel -- even one who never chose a side. </p>
<p>A ficlet in three parts as a gift in the Dominion Gift Exchange. :~)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FujinoLover](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FujinoLover/gifts).



The wind howled as it swept through long locks of brown hair, tangling and blowing it out with a chill that seemed inescapable outside. From this high up, the cold was more pronounced -- but Arika had asked for it, given that she'd gone out onto her balcony in such flimsy dress. The wind whipped against her face, but she was unmoved. She wanted to watch.

Arika stood there, on a balcony overlooking her city, light unable to be found inside its walls save for the ever-present glow of the far-off defense tower where Helena's military operations were headquartered. With the smell of rain, Arika had become calm. The darkness of the late night left her able to wind down from the day and be alone with her thoughts despite the frigid stone she stood on and the rush of air blowing her clothing open. Even the warmth of the region couldn't help the drop in temperature at night. Her feet were uncovered, her robes far too thin for nighttime. Still, she remained there -- her hands in a vice grip on the railing in case a traitor chose to push her.

A glance at the empty room behind her. It was a lonely existence, certainly, but she had lovers. Enough to keep herself warm on nights when she felt despair too deeply and began to question whether this was worth it. It was, though, of course. It always was. 

Who could ask for such unimaginable power over such a strong city? To succumb to the burden of leadership was to fail -- and Arika never failed.

Arika left the balcony and opened her robe, letting it slip off of her as she went back into her room and shut the doors behind her. She didn't bother locking them -- the balcony was so far off the ground that anyone scaling the side of it would be seen by a guard in a heartbeat. 

The problem was the tricky nature of how many hidden passages were inside the building itself. Her door was locked and bolted shut. Only her most trusted guards had the means to open them, but, even then, a gun was on a holster strapped to her thigh. She was nude otherwise, stepping into the bathroom to draw a bath and warm herself.

While it was filling, she lit candles. Steam began to rise from the water, and she out blew the matches she'd used to light the candles. Smoke wafted through the room, quickly dissipating. Now that the bathroom was starting to be warmer than the room outside of it, Arika turned to close the door and trap the steam in-- And she saw that the balcony door was ajar. 

A few moments passed, and she settled a hand over the gun on her thigh. Arika brushed her hair away from her face, slowly moving to the doorway and peering out. Nothing in the room or on the balcony, and nothing that could be seen through the open door of the study. The hallway on her far right had no movement in it, but she could only see so much in the dim lighting. At this angle, someone could easily be standing in the far end and she wouldn't see a thing. That left Arika uneasy. She stepped back into the bathroom and grabbed the shirt she had intended on wearing after her bath, slipping it on, and she looked out the doorway again.

Nothing.

Perhaps she was being overly-cautious, but the door being ajar left a deeply uncomfortable feeling in her gut. No one had ever gotten into the building by the balcony, but she had shut the door entirely. She had shut it. It had clicked. This wasn't right. Even if it was just a loose hinge--

Arika proceeded into the living room, her walk casual. The shirt she was wearing stopped at her mid-thigh and covered most of the gun and its holster. She didn't touch it, meaning to appear unsuspecting as she made her way into the hallway and flipped the light on. All the doors were open, as she'd left them, and she glanced into each one as she went by. Nothing, nothing, nothing, and she got to her bedroom at the end. Still nothing, even when she leaned to pull socks on and saw nothing but a storage box under the bed. 

Loose hinge, then. 

Sighing out a breath of relief, Arika returned to the bathroom. She wasn't completely off-guard, but she wasn't as convinced that someone had invaded her home to assassinate her as she was before. Until she found a closed door, anyway. Arika's head whipped around as she felt someone's presence all too suddenly close to her.

"Good evening," a woman's voice said, and Arika's hand flew to her gun. She was grabbed by the wrist and pushed against the bathroom door, the grip so tight that it _hurt,_ and it had been done quickly enough that she hadn't seen a face. A body pressed close, and Arika tried to wriggle her way out by using her elbows and stomping on the assailant's feet. No luck. Her struggling didn't even seem to be noticed.

"Guards--!"

"They're off-duty," the woman replied, and kept her shoved against the wall. Her voice was far sweeter than the intentions Arika assumed of her -- deceptively sweet, Arika had to think. It must have been how she'd gotten up here in the first place, especially if the guards... "I mean you no harm."

Arika glared over her shoulder, unable to see anything but her own living room and a wisp of blonde hair. "Leave if you mean no harm," she said, the hand that the woman wasn't holding slowly worming its way down. It hurt to press under her own ribs like this, but she could almost reach the gun...

"I wanted to speak with you. My petition for your audience was denied."

That was filed away for later, in case this one escaped. Petitions were kept on file.

Arika's hand slowly settled over her gun, and it didn't seem that the woman holding her there noticed. She slipped it out of its holster. The safety was off, as it always was, and now all Arika needed was to get her finger over the trigger. It was hard to point the gun away enough that she knew she wouldn't shoot herself in the foot.

"File another petition or request a lower audience," Arika answered, calm. The grip on her wrist tightened, the woman's fingernails sharp as claws and digging into her flesh almost painfully.

"It's taking too long. I have to--"

The gun discharged into the wall and the woman flinched -- Arika took advantage of the surprise and the new space she'd been allotted to throw herself backwards and get the woman off-balance, stumbling back with her. The sound of wings flapping set off an alarm in her head, and when she whipped around she was met with the image of a thin blonde woman with wings like Vega's Michael. A woman she recognized, in fact, as one of her own guards. But the wings-- An angel--?

Arika didn't hesitate to fire her gun at the woman, who quickly closed her wings around herself. Her hand shook as she glanced down and saw not only the shells, but the bullets themselves -- collapsed and useless. The angel wasn't even bruised. 

"I mean you no harm," the woman stressed, and Arika backed away towards the hallway.

"Speak, then," Arika said, her voice steady -- as her hands were, now that she had collected herself.

"I wish to stay in Helena," the angel said, and Arika laughed. _This certainly isn't the way to do it,_ Arika wanted to say, and the angel seemed to catch on. "I want to protect this city. I need you to listen to me in order to. Put the gun down, Queen Evelyn." 

Arika scowled at the way she addressed her. "I'm her wife," she pointed out, and the angel smiled in a polite way that said she knew. Arika narrowed her eyes, slowly lowering the gun but keeping a finger on the trigger. That didn't stop her from backing up, still, and putting a good deal of distance between them -- enough that even the angel's wings couldn't reach her.

"Thank you."

"Speak, angel."

"You have angels in your city. I want you to take more in."

That just got a laugh out of Arika. "I would rather--"

"I'm not threatening you. I'm asking for kindness. If not kindness, consider this diplomacy between Helena and a portion of angels. Neutrals." A beat. "The possessed won't enter this place with so many of us here..."

Silence, and Arika held in what she wanted to spit at the angel: Get out. Helena's safety had to stay in mind, though, and the offer was something that was extremely difficult to turn down. Arika had never seen an angel other than Michael who had wings like that, after all, although she was sure Gabriel had the same. The angel before her spoke of the possessed, their enemies, as different than the angels she was speaking of bringing into the city.

Diplomacy, then. Enough to explore. "I'm willing to listen, but I promise you nothing."

The angel smiled. "That's all I ask. Please, my Queen, don't let me interrupt your evening further..." She gestured at the bathroom. Arika glanced at the balcony door and thought of the angel's wings. Maybe she should put guards on the roof, too, just for good measure. 

"Leave, then."

"I thought I might stay." 

Arika was about to question that, but she could see the way the angel was eyeing her. A pause, and she finally remembered the guard's name. "Get out, Ursula." 

"Uriel."

Enough from listening to her mother speak about angels when she was little let Arika know _exactly_ what she was dealing with: an angel exactly like Michael, exactly like Gabriel.

"Out, archangel," she said, voice firm. 

And Uriel smiled. She nodded, bowing her head, and said, "I'll come back tomorrow evening, my Queen. Peace and safety be upon Helena." Her wings twitched, and stretched, and she moved towards the balcony. Once she was out, Arika watched her climb up to sit on the edge, looking over the city, and looking at peace just before she fell forward off of them. Arika could hear the beat of wings, and then silence. She was left with nothing but her own pounding heart.

Her body was trembling, feeling sick. The last time she'd been so close to an angel, she'd lost _everything..._

Arika sank into the water half an hour later, stomach empty and gun discarded in the living room where she'd thrown it down.


	2. Two

Antsy, Arika had been more vigilant than in checking the faces of every guard in her presence and stringently comparing them to the image of the angel from the night before. She knew the woman, she knew she was meant to be on duty, but Arika didn't have an explanation for why she would want to know about the whereabouts of a certain guard when she usually never cared. It didn't warrant suspicion, and so she remained in the dark throughout the day.

Business as usual: She had breakfast with Becca Thorn and discussed a future visit to Vega that David Whele had invited her for. Apparently a jubilee of some sort was going to happen in six months' time and he had something special to show her just before then. When pressed, even Miss Thorn admitted that she didn't know what the hell David was on about with the "something special" -- just that she was a messenger in David's place, given that he was unable to come on the diplomatic visit. Even if he wanted to, his maleness would bar him and keep him outside the city walls the entire visit. Not something David would allow.

"It might be his lion, for all I know," Becca had said, sipping her coffee, and Arika hummed.

"I've seen Samson."

Becca frowned. "He's too fond of that thing. God forbid any of the lower classes knew about it. Never mind that the lion is fed better than most of them, they would fear having Daniel's fate -- without the part where God saves them, given he's _gone."_

"We've done well despite that," Arika pointed out. "Look at the cities we've built."

A small stretch of silence while Becca seemed to think on it and look out over Helena. She could only see so far at this height, and she knew it was purposeful. Nothing she could fault Arika for, given that Helena had planes to hide -- likely only one of their secrets. Evelyn might be angry with Arika, wife or not, if a foreign ambassador left Helena with any unintended intelligence about the city. Not that Helena had anything to fear, but they likely wouldn't like Vega trying to bargain with them for a specific plane if Becca happened to spot one they might be willing to let go of on her visit here.

"Twenty five years..." Becca said, musing over it, and she finished her coffee. "It seems so strange to think that we've survived so long. Look how strong they are."

Arika smiled and glanced over at a waitress. She seemed to get the message, bringing a pot of coffee over -- Becca waved it off, and Arika just continued with: "We're stronger."

"Seems like it. I have to wonder how long that will last, though." Arika knew she was getting at something with that. Becca looked up from her empty cup and met her eyes. "But we can always count on each other when it comes to protecting our cities."

Ah. Thorn wanted a promise, a show of loyalty. They were the only cities in the Cradle that communicated regularly -- Arika hadn't spoken to a dignitary fro New Delphi for ages and she hadn't been able to send an ambassador there at any point, much less go herself. They seemed resistant about their city being breached. Arika knew a little about it, at least, given the general location: A former military bunker was there and even entry procedures would tell any visitor far too much about the city. It was difficult to justify pushing for a visit. They hardly had any trade or use of New Delphi, anyway, though, so it wasn't too important that they keep in contact. From Becca, Arika had learned that Vega had a similar stance on the city.

That left them with each other.

Arika smiled. "You have Helena as an ally," she said, and, to add a layer that was more than words: "We enjoy the benefits of your allegiance and our trade agreement as much as you enjoy ours."

Becca seemed satisfied enough. This wasn't meant to be a strictly business visit -- she was only here to sign the year's new trade agreement and to invite dignitaries from Helena, specifically, Arika and whomever she chose to accompany her, to Vega for the jubilee. The trade agreement's business had already been completed, so they were just having breakfast before Becca left at this point. 

"I've certainly enjoyed your company," Becca said, smiling and standing. Arika stood and Becca held her hand out, which Arika took to shake. 

"You're always welcome in Helena," Arika returned, squeezing her hand before letting go. 

Becca didn't seem to take the subtle hint at just how welcome she was to certain parts of the city, but it hardly mattered. Arika escorted her out and gave a cordial goodbye, letting Becca be taken into the care of an archangel corps squad. The women seemed to relax from having their senator back, headed out soon after. 

Not a blip for the rest of the day as Arika went about her usual duties. When she retired in the evening, her anxiety had heightened: she had locked her balcony and put a chair in front of the door and taken her bath early. By the time the city had gone dark save for the same beacon of light that was their defense tower, she felt like the angel may have been fucking with her. Saying something to punch her in the gut and keep her on-edge until she finally did return -- assuming that the angel hadn't simply left the city after.

By the time midnight rolled around, Arika considered retiring for the evening and giving up. One more hour, she reasoned, and she could call it a day. It wasn't more than twenty minutes later that she heard a beat of wings and her head snapped up to view the balcony. 

Uriel had landed and was looking at the chair through the glass. The angel looked up and pointed at the chair as Arika rose. Arika considered calling the guards in, but that hadn't exactly gone well last time. No one had even responded to shots being fired in her penthouse. 

The chair was moved, and Arika unlocked the door -- then backed up and away as Uriel let herself in. "I'm not letting any more angels into the city. This is a wasted visit, Uriel."

"May I make it personal, then?"

Arika gave her a hard look.

"No. Speak if you mean to speak, but I want you to leave if you are truly neutral in all of this. I don't want people who haven't chosen a side in my city."

"Michael sides with Vega," Uriel pointed out. "It isn't betraying anyone if I pledge allegiance to Helena, is it?"

"We side against Gabriel."

"Gabriel has bigger things to worry about." That got a curious look from Arika, although Uriel stopped her from asking another question: "Neutral against them both, remember. I won't say enough to let you destroy my baby brother."

That got Arika wondering how deeply she could get the angel to pledge her loyalty to Helena over time. It was a pipe dream, surely, thinking that sleeping with the enemy would get her anywhere. It seemed more and more appealing as years passed -- David Whele had had a propensity for touching her thigh when she visited him and she allowed flirtation, but nothing past that. Perhaps in the future, if she ever...

Uriel interrupted the silence that had fallen: "I only want my sisters to be safe." She paused to fold her wings into her back, where they disappeared. The archangel looked as human as ever, and it was unnerving until Uriel fell to one knee with her fist over her heart. "I pledge my allegiance to Helena if you can provide them with a safe place, my queen."

Arika looked at her long enough that Uriel dared to glance up, though she didn't move otherwise. They locked eyes, and Arika continued to consider the benefits.

Of course, she would be letting angels into the city. If anyone ever found out, they'd have her head. If anyone ever suspected it, she would be forced to try evicting angels from the city without making a mess. That was surely an impossible task.

"They look like me," Uriel mentioned, seeming to sense her apprehension. Arika didn't think it showed on her face. "Perfectly human. They're used to living that way, too. They can keep their wings away. They can blend in perfectly. I'll let you meet each of them and know their faces and new identities so that you can see they mean no harm--"

"I'll allow it," Arika said, interrupting the stream of consciousness speech that Uriel seemed to be starting about all of this. 

The benefits outweighed what might happen. With angels on her side and Vega apparently concerned about Gabriel, as they should be, any mounting attack would be better fought by them. It was worth it. She needed to keep Helena intact and safe, even if it meant letting Vega fall first. 

Uriel stared up at her. "On your feet," Arika ordered, after it became apparent the angel wasn't going to budge without being told to. Uriel stood, and Arika felt as though she should have worn heels. This close and without fear in her veins, Arika had to notice how the angel was taller than her. Most were, but Arika still disliked how small she felt.

"I pledge allegiance to Helena," Uriel repeated, and Arika held up a hand.

"How many do you want to bring?"

"How many will you allow?"

"Twenty to begin. If you have more, then bring them in a year. Bring your most vulnerable first."

Uriel knew there would be conditions, of course, and so she nodded. "May I continue to guard you, Queen of mine?"

That almost got a laugh out of Arika. "I want to keep an eye on you, but you'll never be alone with me again," she said. "Is that acceptable?"

Uriel nodded, and smiled as she moved to hold Arika's hands. Arika nearly pulled them away when they were brushed, but she allowed it. Uriel kissed her hands on the backs, then turned them over to kiss each palm -- it seemed oddly intimate, but Arika still didn't budge.

"Yes, my queen."


	3. Three

A trade envoy sent to sign a corresponding trade deal in Vega had returned with stragglers. Three heavily pregnant women and sixteen others, two of them children, all found wandering the desert with no food and little water on them. Arika had asked to see them when they were brought into the external ring of the city, suspecting that these were expected angels.

The looks they gave her told her all she needed to say: Evelyn had sent her to give good news to the weary travelers. Helena would take them in, no questions asked, and give them housing in the city. Awful charitable given that they normally would take women in and make them work their own ways up to get out of the shitty free housing in the city into private group homes, given the limited space. It was met with muttering, and Arika looked out into the crowd after making the announcement to make eye contact with a certain blonde guard.

Despite the weariness of the city in accepting these strangers in such a way, they fit into society. Babies were born, raised, and another woman was showing soon enough. Hers was born in an abnormally short amount of time -- doctors deemed it premature but fine, given that it was, oddly, not underweight or unhealthy in any way. Nines and tens on the APGAR scale.

It was several months before Arika spoke to Uriel again. The angel had been about, but in the way other guards were: silently watching and vigilant for any signs of aggression against their queen's wife.

"Not you," was what she said, a hand laying on Uriel's shoulder -- and the other guards paused to stare. They were going to leave Arika's penthouse for the night, leave her be and stand guard outside to give her privacy. A glance was all it took to shoo them, though, and Arika shut the door behind them.

"Not done with me, my queen?"

Arika turned to look at her. "Are the children angels?"

  
"They were borne of angels."

  
"I agreed to twenty, not twenty-four."

  
Uriel hesitated. "You asked for my most vulnerable... Was I supposed to account for the children? If one set had been twins, would you banish one?"

  
"None are banished," Arika pointed out. "Don't weasel around terms again. Your four will push back the year by four months."

  
A deep breath. Uriel nodded. She didn't like a human speaking to her like this, but she did want neutral angels to have a safe place away from Gabriel. Michael could pick up any with male bodies, bring them into Vega and give them lives away from the lower angels in a normal civilization, but Uriel could do this much.

  
"That's alright," she answered, deciding to take the indignity for the sake of her sisters. Not sisters in the way Raphael was to her, but...

  
Arika picked up on her unease. A beat, and she touched Uriel's shoulder again. "Don't agonize. They still get to come." She smiled. "Isn't that enough?"

  
Uriel nodded, looking at Arika after a moment. She smiled tightly in return. Then, she asked, "Wasn't one of the terms that I never speak to you alone?"

  
"A rule I established," Arika said. A beat, and she touched where Uriel's wings would have to sprout from her back. "And you've broken one already, so my own rule doesn't matter. Would you like to lessen the penalty?"

  
A nod.

  
"Show me." Arika tapped the place.

  
Uriel looked at her a long few moments, then unfurled her wings. Arika felt like the woman had decided that she could always cut her throat if this was malicious. That in mind, all Arika did was touch -- her fingertips found the top ridge of Uriel's wing, slowly smoothing over the line of it until she reached the end and brushed over Uriel's outermost flight feathers.

  
A hum.

  
"May I clip your wings?"

  
Uriel looked at her and frowned. "They'll grow back within three months, it really isn't..."

  
"Three months to take away four, then."

  
A scowl, now. It wasn't as if Uriel needed to fly around the city, dangerous as it was, and she could stay here to watch after the neutral angels for at least that long. She nodded. "Cut them, then, but don't..."

  
"I see your bloodfeathers here." Arika touched them. "I don't intend on cutting them. Only the ones you need to fly. No more."

  
Uriel felt like a caged bird as Arika took scissors and smoothed over her wings, then clipped the outermost feathers one at a time, petting her wings all the while. Occasionally, Arika would take a pause and brush her hand over the soft down at the base of her wing, moving to touch her back. Uriel stayed still for most of it, but she was trembling by the time one wing was done, and Arika moved to the right to clip the other.

  
"I could leave it like this," Arika mentioned. Uriel was already flightless.

  
"Make them even, my queen."

  
Arika was beginning to like the address, even at a time like this. She rewarded Uriel with a kiss to the cheek and snipped the other feathers, the tips fluttering to the floor. She smoothed over Uriel's wings one last time.

  
"Want a haircut too?"

  
Uriel shook her head.

  
"Will you cut mine?"

  
That was a curiosity, Arika handing a blade to someone whose wings she'd desecrated. Uriel took the scissors anyway, watching as Arika pulled an ottoman over to sit on in front of Uriel. Her hair went all the way down slightly past her lower back, Uriel noted, and there were very few slit ends. Arika took good care of herself.

  
"How short?" Uriel asked, and Arika didn't answer. It was up to her, then. Uriel settled behind Arika, stroking her hair down to the ends of it. An inch, two? Shorter? Uriel had to wonder if Arika would let her shave her head. She wouldn't dare try that, in case that was crossing a line, and she wasn't vindictive enough to seriously consider it. Perhaps enough to grow back in three months. Would that be fair--?

  
Arika glanced over her shoulder. "Make me beautiful."

  
"You already are, my queen," Uriel had to say, letting out a little laugh at that. The way Arika smiled made her want to be merciful with this. A pause. "Why not down to here?" she asked, hand making a line just below Arika's breast -- she wasn't touching Arika to do it, of course, but it was still close.

  
When Arika leaned forward just enough to touch her hand, brush it, Uriel nearly went flush. Her cheeks pinked slightly, but she didn't say anything. Arika hummed, saying, "I think that would look nice. My hair is getting in the way..." Evidently she viewed Uriel more favorably for submitting to the terms Arika wanted. A good thing that Arika saw taking her flight away as seriously as Uriel did, given that Uriel would have likely gone home to mourn if she had been released just after the clipping.

  
Uriel cut it there, then. She made sure to make it even, feathering it a bit so it wouldn't look choppy. Arika had made the cuts on her feathers clean, after all. She could afford the same kindness to Arika, even if they were cutting from each other. Arika only looked different, yes, but it certainly was cathartic. Likely the intention.

  
Arika leaned back against Uriel when the woman went to cut her bangs. Uriel stopped, scissors closing over nothing. A pause, and Uriel just stroked her hair.

  
They stayed like that, and Arika eventually brought Uriel's hand down a bit further to touch her collarbone. "Should I be diplomatic with an angel?" she wondered aloud. "I must be a traitor."

  
Uriel slowly moved her hand down further, and Arika didn't stop her from cupping her breast.

  
"Is this not betrayal of my city?" Arika had to ask aloud, smiling, although Uriel seemed indifferent. Conflicted, maybe. Arika couldn't read her well when looking up at her from this angle.

  
The archangel could be useful. She let her clip her wings, and Arika had placated her with this... it would be a give and take. She could balance it. Arika played for the long-term, and a rook was sitting beside her. She put her hand over Uriel's, squeezing it and having Uriel squeeze her as a result.

  
"I'm not the enemy," Uriel said, gently, and stepped in front of Arika to lean down and kiss her. Arika smiled into it, slowly standing and being careful not to bump teeth as a result. Uriel made a sound when Arika grabbed her hips, wanting it and stepping closer to press her body flush up against Arika's. Arika pulled away from the kiss for a moment, a small smile on her lips.

  
"An ally?"

  
"Yes, my queen..."

  
"Being an ally of Helena comes with many benefits," Arika said, as if in reminder. She eyed Uriel's form, thinking of the shape of her. The uniform she wore obscured some of it, but Arika liked it well enough. "Would you like to explore some of those benefits, archangel?" Perhaps using that title would make Uriel view this more favorably.

  
It didn't seem like it mattered either way. Uriel was on her in a second, pressing into a deep kiss and holding Arika's face by cupping both of her cheeks. Her wings flapped in earnest, trying to catch wind, and only succeeded in making both of them stumble away from the ottoman and the mess of hair and feathers on the floor.

  
Arika reciprocated, even as Uriel pushed her up against the wall and pressed against her. This was all Uriel had wanted for a while, and that became more and more evident given the intensity of how Uriel was responding -- and it made Arika all the more aroused thinking of having an angel as her pawn.

  
When they broke apart, it was because Arika needed to take a breath. It took some nudging, but Uriel let up. Arika was panting, but she still nodded at the hallway -- and Uriel got the hint when she looked down at the open, inviting bedroom door.

 

"Wanting to have a religious experience?" Uriel teased, a bit of life back in her.

  
Being subservient didn't suit her. Arika liked her better like this, freer and more impulsive.

  
"The past twenty-five years has been one, hasn't it?" Arika asked, and Uriel scooped her up by hugging around Arika's waist and lifting. A sound from Arika, a quietly surprised one, but she allowed it. Of course the archangel was strong, even with how slender she was.

  
"I'll show you a different kind, my queen," came the reply, and, at this point, _my queen_ sounded almost put-on. Arika allowed it.

  
Just like she allowed Uriel to unbutton her shirt, allowed Uriel to push her down on the bed and beat her wings a little uselessly as she moved to lay over her, allowed Uriel to kiss down her neck and further down past that. Arika was left with soft, warm lips on her, groaning as fabric slipped off her body and tugging on every piece of Uriel's until the angel was left with nothing but her wings and bare skin.

  
Arika tugged on one, and Uriel whimpered -- that left Arika shoving Uriel up and over, tugging on it again and again while her free hand worked its way down to pet the thatch of hair between Uriel's legs. Uriel turned her face to the side, pressing it into the pillow, and pressed her hips up.

  
"Beg," Arika said tugging at the base of Uriel's wing and getting a soft cry out of it. She would reward the angel handsomely if she...

  
_"Please--"_

  
That was all it took. Arika smiled.


End file.
